I hate you
by xUnlucky-Starx
Summary: Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme, They were exceptions. But he... was not. NekuxJoshua
1. Call me Joshua

**I hate you.**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

~*~

_I never liked people. _

_They got in my way. Them and their useless drama, always making life more difficult than it already was. Sure, some people weren't like them. Shiki, Rhyme, and Beat? Well, they weren't the same as the others. They gave my life meaning and didn't clutter the air with chatter and hopeless bickering. No. They were my friends. Friends I could trust. Friends I could rely on. But… __He was not._

_I hated him. _

_His dark violet eyes, messy gray hair, and prissy boy attitude. I hated it. He teased me, made fun of me. Worst of all, he was smart. Too smart to be 15 years old. He could defend every sentence, every word I threw at him. He could reply with a smart remark and throw me off, making me sound like the loser. He was unbeatable when it came to word play. I hated him- No. Hate isn't a strong enough word. I__ despised him. I __loathed him. I __couldn't stand him. _

_I wanted him out of my life for eternity. I hated him and he hated me. End of story with no sugarcoating to it._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter One:**

** Call me Joshua.**

~*~**  
**

"Dammit Yoshiya! C'mon! Give me my damn headphones back!"

"Why would I do that sunshine? Whenever you wear these silly things, I feel like you're ignoring me." Joshua smirked and raised the purple headphones higher into the air.

"That's the point, dumbass." Neku sighed deeply, turning away from the other teen.

"What's wrong, Neku? Can't you jump?" Neku frowned and turned around again. He reached higher this time, but his phones were still out of his grasp. Neku clamped his jaw shut in frustration.

"This is pathetic... I know you can do better than this, Neku." Joshua frowned. "Hm... Oh, Neku dear, I've got an idea. Maybe if you got down on your hands and knees and begged for them, I'd change my mind." He giggled.

"I don't beg. Especially not for a bastard like you." Neku hatefully glared into Joshua's purple eyes.

"Aw Neku, I'm hurt." Joshua smirked. "You're making this way too difficult for yourself. I will never truly understand you."

"Good." Neku responded bitterly while reaching higher for his accessory.

Joshua reacted quickly by lifting the headphones out of the ginger's range. "Nice try."

_"_It's all just a game to you!" Neku snapped, his face hot with anger and annoyance.

"Joshua, please. Just let Neku have them." Shiki sighed while watching the struggle which was now becoming a daily routine.

"Yea man. It's uncool and I'm gettin' tired of watching it everyday." The taller blond standing next to Shiki shook his head.

"Oh fine. It's no fun if he doesn't fight for them anyways." Joshua rolled his eyes and let the purple headphones fall to the ground with a thud.

"Fuck you Yoshiya." Neku huffed while swiping his precious headphones off the sidewalk before Joshua could change his mind.

"Hehehe. My arm was getting tired anyways."

"Is it nessasary for you to steal my headphones on a daily basis?" Neku exhaled, letting his annoyance drown deep inside him again.

"Necessary? Absolutely not. However, it's fun." Joshua giggled his eyes narrowing.

Neku put his headphones back over his ears and turned away from the gray-haired teen and towards his friends who were slowly making their way over.

"And Neku dear, do I have to tell you _this_ everyday? Call me Joshua. Everybody except you does." Joshua shook his head and sighed.

"Do you have to steal something of mine _everyday_, _Yoshiya_?" Neku smiled.

"I suppose not." Joshua thought for a moment and then giggled again.

"What are you laughing at?" Neku's smiled turned into a frown.

"Call me Joshua and I promise I won't lay a single finger on your headphones anymore. Work for you?" Joshua smirked, his voice sounded as sly as ever.

"Neku… He's smart remember…" Shiki said while joining her friend's side.

"_He's smart... But... What more could he do?"_ Neku thought to himself for a brief moment before he spoke to the gray-haired teen again.

"… Okay, _Joshua._ You got yourself a deal. If you lay a single finger on my headphones, I'll call you Yoshiya again." Neku said while turning to look at the two purple eyes which stared back into his own.

"Grand. This doesn't mean I'll stop picking on you, however." Joshua smirked.

"Whatever." Neku rolled his eyes and turned towards his friends again.

"I'll see you soon, Neku." The white-haired teen spoke for the last time before turning towards the school.

"Dude, that kid is a creep." Beat frowned.

"You're telling me…" Neku crossed his arms over his chest.

"Neku, why does he pick on you like that?" Beat's younger sister Rhyme questioned.

"I really have no idea… The bastards got something coming to him if he keeps it up though." Neku's hands rolled into tight fists.

"Watch your language around her!" Beat gasped. Rhyme only rolled her eyes and smiled at her brother's protectiveness.

Neku shrugged.

"Oh shoot!" Beat exclaimed while reaching into his pocket and pulling out folded pieces of paper, joined together by a small staple.

"What's that?" Shiki asked peering over the blond's shoulder.

"I forgot to do the homework for Mr. Minamimoto's class!" Beat panicked.

"Well you're screwed." Neku chuckled.

"C'mon man. Can I copy it please?!"

"... Fine." Neku frowned as he opened his dark blue satchel and felt around for the assigned packet.

"Thanks dude. You're a lifesaver!" Beat sighed in relief.

"Beat, that's the second time this week you forgot to do your homework…" Rhyme looked up into her brothers eyes with a concerned look.

"I'm sorry Rhyme. I've been caught up that's all! I promise I'll do whatever homework that's assigned for tonight!" Beat smiled reassuringly

"Don't apologize to Rhyme. Neku's the one that has to keep letting you borrow the homework." Shiki lectured.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry Neku." Beat rolled his eyes.

"No problem. Some of the answers might be wrong… I just scribbled something down to make it look finished..." Neku meantioned while handing the packet to Beat who savagely snatched the papers while scribbling answers on his own identical packet.

"I owe you." Beat spoke behind a pencil which he gripped with his teeth.

"You can buy me some Ramen for lunch tomorrow. How's that?" Neku nodded while closing his satchel.

"Whatever!" Beat's handwriting looking more like first grader chicken scratch then anything else.

"Oh! Guys I'll meet up with you later! Eri's here!" Shiki called out while taking off leaving the three by themselves.

"Bye Shiki?" Neku shrugged as he watched the two girls exchange fashion papers and designs.

"Hey guys, we should start heading for the school... I think I heard the first bell." Rhyme said taking the lead. Beat and Neku nodded and followed the younger blond.

"Almost… Done with page one…" Beat proclaimed as he was slowly running out of paper on the first page.

"Why does Mr. Minamimoto insist on giving us packets every night?" Neku exhaled as he reached into his pocket for his cell phone.

"The world is made up of numbers." Beat quoted with a roll of his eyes.

"I think he's a bit too obsessed with Math..." Neku frowned.

"Obsessed? No. Pi-face's whole _life_ is math. He probably sits in his house all day reciting the three billion decimal places of Pi." Beat said behind his teeth, obviously hurrying to write down something in the empty spaces on the packet's multiple pages.

Neku chuckled a bit while reading his unread text messages.

"You two probably don't give Mr. Minamimoto enough credit. Math is his passion that's why he decided to be a math teacher. When you think about it, it's not really a crime." Rhyme spoke with a smile, her voice soft.

"You have no idea Rhyme." Beat laughed.

The wind started to pick up, making the green leaves on the trees shake and dance in the welcoming breeze. Neku looked up to the sky, letting his orange locks be carried by the rush of cool air. The sky above him and his friends was a clear blue without the trace of clouds. Neku hid a smile as the wind slowly died down, letting his hair fall back into place. Neku sighed and focused his gaze back down at his cellphone screen. His moment of peace was interrupted as soon as he noticed the time, flashing in the corner.

"Shit..." Neku whispered to himself. He turned to face his friends.

"It's 8:29. The bell is going to ring. We gotta get to class, right _now_." Neku said in a shaken voice.

"BWAAAAH! I can't be late for his class again! He'll kill me!" The blond gasped.

"Hurry up or I'm leaving you behind." Neku said, his pace becoming faster.

Beat scribbled a few more answers in the blank spots on the paper. "Okay! Done! Let's bounce Phones." Beat folded his packet and shoved it into his pocket while handing over Neku's homework. Neku grabbed the stack of papers and ran up the stairs leading into the building with Beat and Rhyme at his side.

The three ran through the double doors leading to the main lobby of the school. Up ahead, were the two familiar four-way intersections that would split Rhyme from the two older teens. The school was divided into six main parts. Each part was dependent on the grade of the student or the importance of the section. Freshmen classes were held on the second right, Sophomores in the second left and Juniors and Seniors straight. The other two hallways were important. The first right was the library and elective classes. The first left however, was the lunch room and offices. In total, the school was pretty easy to navigate through making their break for their classes simple.

"Bye guys!" Rhyme smiled sweetly as she took off for the second hallway jeering to the right.

"See 'ya Rhyme." Beat waved as him and Neku rounded the corner of the second left hallway.

"Let's hope we make it in time…" Neku clenched his jaw shut.

"We got this!" Beat gave Neku a thumb up as they rounded another corner. Neku could see the classroom. He could hear his teachers' voice as clear as a whistle; he could see the brightly lit room… Just a few more strides and he'd be safe… Just then, the unspeakable happened. The bell rang out, piercing the two teen's ears and they skidded into the classroom, a millisecond late.

"Why the factor are you two late?" Neku and Beat were greeted with two narrow eyes.

"_Shit." _Neku sighed before facing his teacher.

"We're sorry Mr. Minamimoto... We had to-…" Neku was cutoff rudely by his teachers exhale.

"I don't give a digit, Mr. Sakuraba. You and Mr. Bitō are late. Now sit down and get out your homework. Oh and, I've told you this one, too many times, Take off the headphones before class starts! Don't make me give you a detention, Mr. Sakuraba."

"Yes sir." Neku and Beat spoke in unison before finding two empty desks each one far away from the other. Neku sat down in the uncomfortable chair. He gently raised his headphones off and away from his ears before stowing them into his satchel.

In a few seat over, the blond turned his head and mouthed what Neku believed was "Pi-face." and then turned his attention back to the already pissed off teacher.

_"We were barely late. He could cut us some slack..." _

"Now, if there are no further interruptions," Mr. Minamimoto glared back at the two irritated teens, "We can finally begin class." Neku sighed and stared at the blank chalkboard. _It's going to be a long class…_

Neku placed his elbows on the desk and let his head rest on his palms.

"The area of a circle is Pitimes radius squared. All you yoctograms know that Pi equals 3.1415926535ect. Or 3.14 for short._"

_A very long class for sure._ Neku frowned.

* * *

I'm sorry this may have been pretty boring... This is my first TWEWY fanfiction! Give me a break! DON'T BE LIKE MR. MINAMIMOTO! I'm certain the next chapter will be better. We'll be seeing Joshua again... Very soon. Until then, I hope you enjoyed.

**REVIEW PLEASE! :]**


	2. Unfair

**I hate you**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

~*~

_Okay yeah,_

_ I've agreed to call Yoshiya by his nickname, Joshua. In return, he said he wouldn't lay a single finger on my headphones. Yeah right. Joshua is tricky… He is complicated and can always find a way out of his agreements. I still don't trust him and I never will. If you've ever hated somebody as much I did Joshua, you'd understand…_

_When Joshua left me alone, my friends and I talked to the point where we were going to be late for our first class. Beat and I sprinted to our first period math class and ended up being a second late. Mr. Minamimoto almost gave Beat and I a detention for being tardy. We lucked out. The bell is about to ring for third period now… English. One of the classes I actually didn't mind. The class room was inviting, the teacher was somewhat pleasant, and I could actually concentrate. There were no distraction and the people in the class were tolerable. I guess you could say it was my favorite class._

_

* * *

_**Chapter Two:**

**Unfair**

~*~

"Yo man, is it time for lunch yet? I'm _starving!_" The blond complained as he and Neku walked down the crowded hallways, avoiding the other students.

"Why are you asking me? You know the routine for A Days." Neku frowned as he dodged an upperclassman who had decided to turn around in the middle of the hallway.

"Aw man. I've got History first." Beat spoke after counting his classes off his fingers.

"Third period." Neku nodded. "One of the classes I actually don't mind."

"You've got English right?" Beat questioned as he paused before heading into his classroom.

"Yeah. Today Mrs. Konishi is going to give us some 'important' project today." The ginger replied.

"Sucks for you, Phones!" Beat laughed.

Neku shrugged. "I don't care. It's no big deal… Later Beat. I have to get to class. I don't want to be late again." Neku said taking off.

"See 'ya." Beat waved and disappeared into his designated class.

Neku hid his smile as he continued to weave his way through students.

_"After English, I can finally relax."

* * *

_

Neku could see the doorway of the English room. Changing his pace, he hurried inside and nonchalantly took a seat in the back of the almost empty classroom. In no time at all, other students filed into the illuminated area, each taking a seat like Neku had. As Neku carefully removed his satchel from his shoulder and placed it on the back of his chair, the bell chirped sending a small shiver up the ginger's spine. Quickly, a few stragglers made their way into the classroom and took a seat, trying to be as silent as they possibly could.

"Good afternoon class." Mrs. Konishi stood up from her desk and made her way to the center of her teaching area. "If you remember Wednesday's lecture, I promised you all a project. So, today you'll find out the assignment as well as your partners_" Mrs. Konishi paused as a voice from outside cut her off.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Konishi. I transferred my English class remember? I'm sorry I'm late. I had an important errand to run for Mr. H. I have a pass if it is necessary." The voice was calm and familiar. Neku shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Oh… Oh yes! Come on in Yoshiya." The blond teacher smiled while she adjusted the glasses over her nose.

"_No… No! This isn't happening…! Please let it be a different Yoshiya…" _Neku's eyes widened as he held his head in between his hands. He closed his eyes so he didn't have to see the newcomer.

"Why, hello there Neku." _He _giggled.

"_… Shit… Why?!" _Neku opened his eyes and saw the gray-haired teen standing in front of the classroom, Mrs. Konishi at his side.

"Take a seat anywhere you'd like… Although… There isn't much of a selection…"

"That isn't a problem, thank you. Oh and please, call me Joshua." Joshua flashed a mocking smile Neku's way as he made his approach to the back of the classroom. That was when Neku noticed the empty seat beside him.

"_Great. Just great. I'm screwed." _Neku sighed and let his hands drop to his desk.

"I didn't know you had this class third period. Oh Neku, we're going to have so much fun." Joshua smirked taking a seat beside the ginger.

"Shut-up." Neku silently hissed between his clenched teeth.

"Well. No need to be rude." Joshua smiled and then turned his attention back to Mrs. Konishi.

"Okay, well, as I was saying, you all will find out about the project as well as your partners. To be fair, I _will_ be picking them for you." The classroom was filled with groans and complaints as soon as the words left the blonds' lips. "But first, I'll talk to you about the project. You'll be creating your own way of life sort-to-speak. It could be as normal as Shibuya, or as crazy as you can make it. The possibilities are endless. You'll be drawing and creating a visual effect to your world as well. You'll have to include your own afterlife, clothing, food, anything along those lines. Then you and your partner will need to write an essay explaining as much as you can about your way of life. I'm not going to give you many guidelines, so you can go all out and have fun with it. This project will be worth 300 points so you'll really want to focus on it. No slacking off, children! I'll pass out the guidelines and things to include in your report now, and when I'm finished, I'll assign partners." Mrs. Konishi explained.

"_Hmm… This… Sounds fun… Depending on whom I get partnered up with of course…" _Neku scanned the people sitting in front of him. He didn't know any of them personally. It made him somewhat nervous. Neku didn't like people. It was his only weakness.

"Thank you, Mrs. Konishi." Joshua faked a smile as the teacher placed a sheet of white paper on his desk.

"You're welcome." She said while passing Neku his own piece of paper. Neku rolled his eyes before studying the script, reading the instructions and what to include in the presentation.

"_This is nothing." _Neku looked up from the paper and at the blond who was making her way to the front of the classroom once again.

"Now for the moment you've been waiting for! Partners! After I assign you with a partner, I'd like you to discuss what you'd like to do for the rest of the class. This project will be due the Friday two weeks from now. So, you'll have this weekend, all week, and then another week. You have _plenty_ of time. I don't want excuses for not being able to present it." Mrs. Konishi nodded as she surveyed the room. "The first partner's I'd like to assign will be…"

"Wouldn't it be interesting if you became my partner, Neku?" Joshua whispered beside the ginger. Neku said nothing. He rolled his eyes and listening, praying that Joshua's thought wouldn't become reality.

"Hm… Neku… You'll be paired with Sota." Mrs. Konishi nodded in his direction.

"_Thank heavens." _Neku sighed in relief. A few seats ahead of him, Sota turned around and flashed the ginger a smile.

"_This won't be terrible I guess._" Neku nodded back.

"That's a shame Neku. I would've loved working with you." Joshua giggled while peering a seat over.

"Looks like pretty boy doesn't _always_ get his way." Neku chuckled to himself.

"Oh I wouldn't say that darling… Not yet at least." Joshua smirked and raised his hand casually.

"Don't. You. Dare." Neku grinded his teeth.

"Hm? What is it Joshua?" Mrs. Konishi peered up from her papers to look at the gray-haired teen.

"_He wouldn't…_" Neku glared.

Putting his arm down, Joshua gave Neku one last smile.

"_… He would…_" Neku shook his head.

"Mrs. Konishi. I've never been in your class before but I can't help but ask this… I don't want to be a bother, but could Neku and I work together on this project? It would be a splendid way to help me adjust to my new schedule and all… I'll feel much more comfortable with this new setting."

"Rules _are_ rules… I'm sure you've had teachers pick partners for you before…" Mrs. Konishi thought. "But… I guess I can let it slide for now… Sota, you'll be working with Nao and Neku, you'll be working with Joshua. Is that okay?" Mrs. Konishi snuck a glance at the ginger.

"_No. No that's not okay! Excuse me, Mrs. Konishi, but I can't do it. I can't have Joshua be my partner. I hate him. I wish he'd jump off a bridge or something! As long as he was gone and I'd never have to see his face again. The prick always gets his way._" Neku felt like he was going to explode. His face was hot with fury, and hate boiled in his throat.

"This is much obliged, Mrs. Konishi." Joshua nodded and narrowed his eyes at Neku.

"Well. Would you look at that? _Pretty boy_ got his way this time." Joshua beamed.

Neku only looked away.

_"I hate you. You have no idea Yoshiya Kiryu… You have no fucking idea." _

_

* * *

_Is this any better then the previous chapter? I think so...! I'm sorry it was almost obvious that Joshua would end up with Neku... In the next chapter, we'll see how Neku deals with this set down. He'll also do some mild bitching to his friends... I feel bad for them. Hehe. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Please leave me a review. I love feedback! D:**


	3. I hate him

**I hate you  
**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

~*~

_ I wanted to scream._

_ That whole time I was sitting there in English class, I couldn't take it. Joshua… That son-of-a-bitch. Why did he choose me? Why was it me that he picked on and insulted? Why did he always have to get in the way? Does he get some thrill from irritating people? No. Forget that. He gets a thrill from irritating me. Not people. Just me. _

_ We were supposed to be discussing ideas with our partners for our new assignment. The project I was looking forward to, but now, I wish it never existed._

_As my English teacher, Mrs. Konishi, was telling us about our latest assignment, Joshua interrupted the class, to tell us that his third period class was now my English class. Sure, this made me angry, him being in my English class from now on, but I could control my frustration. Then, as she was choosing partners, Joshua decides to raise his hand and ask to work with me. He said it would 'help him adjust.' Of course, she agreed. So now, I'm stuck with working on this huge project with the guy I hate. Yeah Joshua. This'll be fun. So, so much fun. _

_ After she assigned everybody to another person, we were supposed to brainstorm some ideas together… There was no way in hell I was going to talk to Joshua after what he did. So I've been sitting here, staring at the wall, trying to ignore every word that flowed from Josh's mouth. Every insult, every form of verbal communication, I evaded it. Can he not take the hint? I don't want to talk to him. Not now, not ever. Shut up Joshua. Shut up and leave me alone._

_

* * *

  
_

**Chapter Three:**

**I hate him**

~*~

The bell for lunch finally sounded, its loud bell making it known around the hallways and in the classrooms. People everywhere, rushed out of their sessions and into the hallway, some meeting up with friends, others rushing to the cafeteria to capture a seat. However, for some reason, Neku stayed, glued to his seat and unable to move. But… the strangest part was…

"Neku, the bell did ring…" Joshua looked at the ginger with a smirk.

"I have ears." Neku said with a bitter taste in his mouth avoiding the other teen's eyes.

"C'mon Neku. Let's go. You can't stay here forever." Joshua's smile slowly fading.

"No. Go and find your friends, go to lunch, go torment some people, go… where the hell ever! Just leave me _alone._" Neku snapped.

The gray-haired teen was silent for a moment, his purple eyes staring at the back of the ginger's head.

"… Okay." Joshua spoke, getting out of his seat and heading for the door.

_"Okay..?" _

"Oh and Neku, Shiki is waiting for you outside." Joshua smiled once before leaving the ginger alone in the room.

"_Whatever." _Neku looked down at his hands sitting in his lap. He could hear the two of them talking in the hallway, their obvious subject was about himself.

"Where's Neku?" A female voice asked from outside of the classroom.

"He's in there. I tried to convince him to go to lunch, but he's being stubborn. You may want to give it a try. I wish you luck, Shiki." Neku could hear light footsteps, their sound fading as the person got farther and farther away until the noise disappeared completely. However, he could also somebody else's footsteps. Loud ones. Close ones…

"Neku, you okay?" Shiki took a seat in the chair in front of him. She sat backwards in the desk, looking at the ginger, a sincere-ness in her voice and face.

"I hate him." Neku closed his eyes so he didn't have to look into her green eyes. "I hate him so much."

"…Hate is a strong word… You're just overreacting. He's not that bad_"

"Yes he freaken is! You have no idea Shiki… Do you know what he did to me this class? Not only did he decide to switch his English class, but just to annoy me, he asked the teacher if I could be his partner to work on a project with him. Now I'm stuck working on this important assignment with him. No. I could've worked with Sota. A normal person that wouldn't annoy the hell out of me! I can't stand him, Shiki. I hate him." Neku shook his head.

"I-… I'm sorry Neku… I didn't understand that you felt so strongly about it… Here, take a deep breathe, and just let it go." Shiki said, placing her hand on Neku's shoulder.

The ginger inhaled and exhaled once before opening his eyes again. Shiki smiled back at him.

"Better?" She asked removing her palm from his narrow shoulders.

"Yeah… I guess." Neku said while pushing himself out of the uncomfortable chair, grabbing his satchel and hoisting it on his shoulder.

"Okay, good. Now let's go to lunch. Beat and Rhyme are probably waiting." Shiki got out of the chair and led Neku out of the classroom. He looked back once, the area he used to feel safe in, now a place he didn't want to be every other day. Neku gave a sigh and continued to follow the black-haired girl into the now empty hallways.

"_… He… Left me alone… Left me alone when I asked him to…"

* * *

_

"Where the hell you been man!? Rhyme's been worried 'bout you."

"Beat was too!" Rhyme giggled.

"What!? I was not! I knew Phones was okay! I wasn't worried a bit." Beat said defensively.

"That's why you were the first to mention him not being here." Shiki laughed as she took a seat at the table next to the older blond.

"Be quiet Shiki! I knew he was fine." Beat frowned. "You believe me, right Phones?" Beat slid a soda across the table to the ginger who caught it without a real problem

"Thanks… And sure I guess." Neku sighed, taking a seat next to the younger blond.

"You okay Neku?" Said blond asked her usual smile disappearing slowly.

"No… Not really." The ginger looked down at the lunch room table.

"He'll be fine, Rhyme. Joshua has just been annoying him." Shiki reassured her.

Beat groaned. "What'd the prissy kid do this time?"

"Well, let's see, he transferred his English class so now I have to spend an hour with him in that class. Oh and that's not all! I could've worked on this new assignment with somebody normal that I didn't hate but no. Joshua decides to ask the teacher if I can be his partner. It's ridiculous!" Neku bit the inside of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Neku... Maybe you should try talking to Joshua… You know, ask him why he is the way he is around you…?" Rhyme tried to be comforting by patting the older teen's back.

"It's okay Rhyme and I'm not going to do that. He'll just come up with a rude remark to spit back at me." Neku shrugged.

"But what if he doesn't?" Rhyme questioned as she stopped patting the older teen's back.

"Doubtful. I've known Joshua for a long time… We've been though almost all of elementary school, all of middle school, and half-way through high school together… He's been the same way for as long as I can remember…" Neku could faintly recall the first time he saw Joshua… The day he gained an enemy…

It was recess, a bright and sunny day. Neku had been watching the other kids chase each other around the playground, mesmerized by their movement and ability to avoid each other by hiding in obvious spots or outrunning the other one. He was younger then but he still kept away from the other kids… They didn't seem to take a liking to him. Neku didn't mind. He had more fun watching them. They ignored him and pretended he was invisible, always running past him as they claimed a spot on the jungle gym, protecting it with every fiber of their beings. Neku would watch these games and silently wonder what it was like to play and run with them.

"You don't have to stand there all day watching them, wondering what its like." A voice came from behind him. Neku turned around, shocked and surprised that another person was talking to him. "Join them. Or are you too much of a wimp to go up to them and say hi?"

"I'm not a wimp… I just don't wanna to talk to them. They don't like me anyways." Neku turned away from the violet-eyed kid.

"Hehehe." He giggled. "You're right. You're basically the reject of the whole school… Congratulations! Come find me when you've decided to open up to the world and try to make friends. You'll remember. I know you'll remember, Neku. Until then…" The newcomer laughed and took off vanishing among the other kids. Neku glanced over his shoulder, watching the strange kid that had approached him…

_"Until what?"_

Later on, he found out that the kid's name was Yoshiya Kiryu, but everybody just called him Joshua for whatever reason. Ever since that one day on the playground, Joshua had always found Neku, just to tease him more and more over the years, the gray-haired student always finding him even when the ginger hadn't been looking for trouble… It did make him think though… What did he ever do to piss him off?

"Neku? Are you still there?" Shiki was looking at Neku, who had been staring off.

"Oh huh? Sorry." Neku shook his head and looked back into her green eyes.

"You spaced out." Shiki giggled.

"I was thinking about something…" Neku shrugged.

"So man, what are 'ya gonna do about Josh?" Beat asked before taking a sip of his own soda.

"I'll try to make the best of the project. We can decide what we wanna do and hopefully, I won't kill the guy." Neku rolled his eyes. "Can't promise that though. I swear if he insults me the whole time…"

"Think about it Neku… Joshua is a good student. I'm certain he's never gotten below a B+ grade before. So it's not like he's going to sabotage the project… Maybe he wanted to work with you out of everyone because you're the one he knows best. Maybe he wants to become friends with you. Heck! He might've just thought that you were the most creative one in the class. You do love graffiti." Shiki smiled at Neku's decision.

"That's… true… Doubtful, but true…" The ginger nodded.

"That or he'll risk the failing grade just to annoy you." Beat chuckled.

"Beat! Don't tell him that." Rhyme lectured. "He's already having a hard time with this whole incident."  
"Calm down Rhyme. I'm just kiddin' Phones. I'm sure Shiki's right." Beat laughed nervously before taking another sip of his soda.

"… I still hate him." Neku chuckled and took a swig of his own drink.

Shiki shook her head and sighed. "Whatever you say, Neku… When you planning on confronting him anyways?"  
Neku sighed and thought for a moment. "I guess next period. I've got it free and I've noticed Joshua wandering the halls or relaxing in the courtyard… I figure he's got it off too."

"How will you know where to look?" Rhyme asked, curious.

"Joshua may be a complicated person, but I've seen all the places he's hung out during that free class. Mr. H's room, the courtyard, wandering the halls, hanging out in the front of the school, he shouldn't be that hard to catch." Neku shrugged.

"You promise you'll look for him?" Shiki asked.

"Yeah yeah. I promise." Neku took another shot his soda, happy that the conversation could finally be dropped. He wanted to forget the subject and just enjoy his lunch block without discussing Joshua.

* * *

The ginger was alone. The hallways were empty, and almost silent, if it weren't for the few teachers that kept their doors open as they taught. It was scary in a way. Usually during this free block, he'd wander the streets of Shibuya, or relax in the courtyard, as long as his enemy wasn't there to spoil the peace. If he had an assignment, he'd make his way over to the cafeteria and work on it until the bell rang to go home. However, today was different. He had finally gained the confidence to try and find the mysterious gray-haired teen. Right now, Neku was on his way to Mr. H's room. Joshua had… a strange connection with the man. Neku didn't mind Mr. H either, but they weren't friends or anything.

Neku scanned the numbers of the rooms, finally arriving at room 122. Quietly poking his head around the doorway. Inside were the normal desks and chairs, Mr. H sitting at his own desk, reading or grading papers. Neku couldn't tell from the distance.

"Oh. Hello Neku… Is there something I can help you with?" Mr. H looked up at the ginger with a smirk.

"Hi Mr. H… Actually… Yes there's something I need help with…" Neku took a few steps forward so that he was in the doorway.

"Shoot." Mr. H put his red pen down and looked at the teen, awaiting the question.

"Do you know where Joshua is…?" The words felt weird to say.

"_Never in my life, have I expected to ask anybody that…_" Neku looked down at the floor.

Mr. H stiffened a laugh. "Joshua huh? Why are you looking for him?"

"Project work…" Neku frowned.

"Haha! I see. Well Neku, Joshua hasn't visited me since second block. Sorry." Mr. H's smile faded.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks…" Neku turned around leaving the class.

"Sorry I wasn't much help!" Mr. H called out as the ginger left in a hurry. Neku nodded to himself in the hallway.

"_Maybe he's at the courtyard…"_ Neku's stride quickened as he made his way to the cafeteria, the only entrance to the courtyard.

"_You always show up when I don't want you to. However, now that I need to find you, you're making yourself difficult to find…" _Neku shook his head as he rounded another corner, now in the main hallway. Taking the hallway diagonal from the sophomore corridor, he found himself passing the main office and into the cafeteria where he saw other kids studying. The doors shut behind him making him feel embarrassed for interrupting the few students that looked up to glare. Neku frowned and tried to ignore their gazes as he made his way for the door at the end of the lunch room.

"_Stop looking at me. It's not like you haven't done it before…" _Neku thought as he passed the tables finally reaching the closed double door. Silently opening their wooden frames, he found himself greeted by warm sunlight and a welcoming breeze. He stood there for a moment as the doors shut behind him.

Neku loved the courtyard. Flowers bloomed, and the grass was fresh and green. Occasionally, a butterfly would fly over the building and find itself in its own paradise of beauty. The courtyard was also sunny, the only tree in the area, a large cherry blossom tree, in the middle of everything, shading the benches and picnic tables beneath its leaves. Here, Neku felt like it was his own world; he could think about anything and not be interrupted by the other students. He felt safe and untouchable.

Neku walked towards the cherry blossom tree, taking in the multiple scents of the flowers and looking, searching, for the gray-haired teen. To Neku's surprise, he wasn't there like he usually was on a day this beautiful. The ginger paused as he reached the shade the blossom tree offered and closed his eyes.

"_Not in the cafeteria or Mr. H's room… Not in the halls, nor the courtyard… I've looked all around campus and I still can't find him… I give up."_

"Looking for somebody, Neku?"  
The ginger quickly turned around at the familiar voice,. Joshua was standing a few feet away from him with his hands on his hips. He smiled as his violet eyes met with Neku's blue ones. Neku paused for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"_I spent a half an hour looking for this guy… And now I don't know what to say." _

Neku gave a quick nod and paused again.

"_Say something. C'mon… Pretend that he doesn't irritate you…"_

"I wanted to…"

"Apologize? Please. Don't bother." Joshua sighed and let his arms fall to his sides. "You're really here to discuss the project. Am I correct?"

Neku rolled his eyes. "Yeah."

"Good. Now, I've got an idea. It may need some improvement, but that's why I chose you as my dear, dear partner." Joshua giggled.

"Okay. What do you have so far?" Neku sat down on the green grass and took his satchel off his shoulders, letting it rest on the ground.

"Well…" Joshua strode forward and took a seat next to Neku on the soft grass. "Okay… Most of this idea, revolves around normal Shibuya… The people are like they are now, and the city is exactly the way it at this moment. The idea really comes in when the person passes away or dies. Instead of living a peaceful life as a ghost or spirit, they're put into this… Game sort to speak…"

"A… Game…?" Neku tried not to sound rude.

"In this game, you have one goal, make it to day seven. If you do this successfully, you can live again. If you couldn't make it you were either erased or couldn't complete the mission on time…"

"Erased?" Neku asked.

"Gone. Your chances of living again, destroyed. You'd be erased from the game, from existence, forever." Joshua explained. "It's still a work in progress… It gives us something to work off of."

Neku thought for a moment. "That… Sounds interesting… However, why would you get 'erased' if there is no real threat…?"

"Well… Maybe there could be officials of this game… Ones that could easily erase the people in the game… I'm not sure… It's still in the planning process… But does the idea work for you?"

"… What do you think?" Neku nodded. "I've got no ideas anyways."

"Excellent. I'll type out the base tonight. In the meantime, Neku, you think of some ways to fill in those gaps. "

The ginger nodded. "Okay. I'll try… Oh and… mind if I ask how you knew I was looking for you?" He added.

"Hehehe. You'll get really pissed off at me if I told you." Joshua smirked. "But, I guess I'll tell you anyways. I've been following you. I heard you talking to your friends about finding me. I noticed you walking towards Mr. H's room and decided to follow you and wait to see how long it took you to notice. You should turn around more Neku." Joshua giggled.

"So you let me look for you for a _half an hour_?" Neku tried hard not become annoyed and snap.

"Basically." Joshua smirked.

"I should've known." Neku shook his head and got up from the ground, taking his satchel with him. "E-mail the base to me when you're done. I'll need the base to know what to re-think." The ginger held out his hand.

"I shall." Joshua smirked, grabbing Neku's outstretched palm. With a slight pull, the gray-haired teen way lifted to his feet. "Something isn't right…" Joshua thought for a moment.

"What?" Neku sighed.

"You're not pissed off yet." Joshua giggled.

"Well… You've done nothing to irritate me… yet." Neku looked away. "Do you want me to snap at you?"

"Oh no, Neku. I've done that enough today. Tomorrow I promise to 'irritate' you." Joshua replied with a grin.

"… Whatever…" Neku started to walk away, not looking back to see if he was being followed.

"_I still hate him." _Neku frowned striding forward.

"Goodbye, Neku. I'll be waiting for your lovely new ideas tomorrow." Joshua giggled as Neku kept walking.

_"Oh yeah. I still hate him."_ The ginger sighed and walked through the doors leading into the lunchroom.

_"But for those last moments… He wasn't all that bad…"

* * *

_

Yaay! Chapter three is done. Finally... Sorry this took a little longer then Chapter one and two. This one is the longest out of my chapters and midterms are coming up... I've been studying! Sorry if this chapter was long and boring... This is more of a filler then anything else... But... whatever. I hope you enjoyed reading! Chapter four will be up soon... I hope...

**!!!!!REVIEW OR SHO WILL GIVE YOU A DETENTION!!!!!  
**


	4. Have you Forgotten?

**I hate you.**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

~*~

_ I learned to accept it._

_I wasn't going to get out of the pact Joshua made with me, no matter what I did. So I sucked it up and decided to try and be civil about it. Turns out, Joshua actually has a few good ideas… He told me his plan for the project and surprisingly, it's not bad at all. Would it be weird if I said that I'm looking forward to coming up with ideas for it? Whatever. You can think what you want… This doesn't make us friends… Not at all. So you can forget that._

_ Joshua said he'd e-mail me the starting layout for the project tonight… When and how he got my e-mail… I have no idea and I don't really want to know… He's probably got everybody's e-mail documented somewhere, the little creep. All I know is that it's now 11:00 at night and I've still got an empty inbox… Tomorrow is Saturday… I've got all the hours of the day but I'm not going to waste my whole weekend thinking about this project. No. This weekend I'm going to try and relax. I don't care if Joshua objects. It's my life; I can do what I want with it. Besides. We've got more then two weeks to work on it. To answer your question, no. No I am not going to procrastinate and wait till the last minute. Cut me some slack here.

* * *

_

**Chapter Four:**

**Have you forgotten?**

~*~

"_Fine. Don't e-mail me. If you get pissed off tomorrow because I didn't have any new ideas, you can blame yourself."_ Neku thought as he leaned back in the computer chair after checking his empty inbox for the third time that night. The ginger spun around in his computer chair lazily, glancing over at the alarm clock sitting on his nightstand next to his un-made bed while in mid-spin. He caught a glimpse of the bright red numbers before coming to a slow stop.

"11:05…" Neku sighed and corrected his chair position only to see his unchanged inbox once more.

"_Now this is getting me irritated."_ Neku grabbed the laptop mouse and clicked the refresh command at the top of the internet page. When his e-mail loaded, his inbox remained empty once more. Neku groaned.

"_Well Josh, I'm logging off for the night. Maybe you aren't as reliable as I was starting to think… Whatever." _Neku rolled his dark blue eyes and clicked the red 'X' at the top of the webpage. Afterwards, he shut the top of his laptop down and stood up from his chair.

"Maybe he got held up." Neku said aloud as pushed the computer chair back under his desk. The ginger took a few steps forward before he paused. He glanced over his shoulder at the silver laptop sitting closed on his messy desk.

"I swear, if he sends me an e-mail at 11:59, then yells at me for not giving him ideas, I'll murder him." Neku looked ahead of him again and smiled. "_I'm not lying, either…"_ Neku grinned to himself,_ "However… That's something that little bastard _would_ do…" _Neku added in his thoughts as he strode towards his bed.

"_Okay… Maybe I was lying about murdering him…"_ The ginger then sat down on the comfortable mattress and lied down, looking at the night sky though the windows on his ceiling. He watched the stars, the sky, and the clouds above him sailing slowly over the ground below. Neku sighed and closed his eyes, happy that the weekend was finally here and he could finally relax and not worry about school for two days.

The ginger slowly moved his hands to rest them behind his head when he felt something other then sheets and blankets. He opened his eyes to see a piece of white paper written with neat handwriting.

"_That wasn't there this morning… Maybe it's from my mom… But… Her handwriting isn't anything like this… Plus she usually leaves notes on the kitchen counters…"_ Neku thought as he grabbed the white parchment and scanned it, reading it slowly and carefully.

_Dear Neku,_

_I know I told you that I would e-mail you, however, I wasn't able to get my internet working, my apologizes. So I decided to drop it off at your house. The base type-out is on the back. Start thinking! I'll be expecting them on Monday before first bell. Don't forget. _

_Sincerely,_

_Joshua Kiryu_

Neku shook his head. _"He even added a creepy smiley face at the end of 'Don't forget' … Great Joshua. Well… I guess you did remember to send me the base... Whatever…" _The ginger rolled his eyes and flipped the piece of paper over to see a typed layout of the conversation he had with Joshua that previous afternoon. The title of the paper was typed in a bold calligraphy type font which read _A Wonderful World_.

"_A wonderful world, huh? If it's so wonderful, then why does the after life seem worse then hell?"_ Neku continued to read the text document, its font turning from calligraphy, to an easier to read print. The ginger scanned the lines a few times before nodding to himself. He decided that over the weekend, he'd have to figure out a few of the main gaps this world had and decide if he wanted to incorporate any other ideas.

"Jeez, Yoshiya. Give yourself the easy part and leave me with the more difficult stuff... How polite." Neku said aloud before folding the paper in half and placing it on his overly crowded nightstand. The ginger then turned the light on the same table off. Darkness immediately entered the room leaving a pitch black silence. Neku felt for the edge of his sheets before sliding under the thin fabric.

He sighed in content before closing his heavy eyelids. As soon as the ginger's head hit the soft and feathery pillows he fell asleep, the stresses and worries of the day, slowly unraveling their snake-like hold over his brain. It was time for relaxation, and that was exactly what he was going to do. Relax and not think about the arrogant bastard.

* * *

I am so incredibly sorry! I haven't been able to update due to a lot of problems which resulted in not enough time to write this. I'm sorry it's so short. I just wanted to post what I had to show you all that I'm still alive. The story will continue to be updated! I promise!

**REVIEW AND TELL ME HOW MAD YOU ARE AT ME FOR NOT UPDATING IN AGES! :D**


	5. The Dream

**I hate you**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

~*~

_ Darkness. _

_ It was cold, quiet, and peaceful. It could make you feel alone or it could make you feel at one with the world. But right now, darkness had not been a friend. It came as quick as a flash of lighting and left me breathless and confused as to what had happened. _

_ Darkness._

_ It swallowed the world around me leaving nothing but black space and emptiness. Where was I? What happened? The last thing I could remember was falling asleep in my bed after reading a note that Joshua had sent me. Now everything was numb and I couldn't feel any part of my body. It felt as if I was only in control of my thoughts. This worried me._

"_What's going on!?" I tried to yell but only a whisper escaped my lips. Slowly I could feel myself regaining mobility in my legs and arms. The numbness was starting to fade. I closed my eyes away from the darkness._

"Please get me out of here…_" I tried to shout again, but it was still merely a mummer in the dark. I opened my eyes to find the darkness gone. Swallowed up by the new world which stood around me. I blinked once, unaware of my surroundings and unable to take it all in at once. When my eyes opened again, I was on the street of Shibuya at the Scramble Crossing. People were all around me, nearly tripping over me as I lied on the hard pavement. I rushed to my feet barely avoiding a pair of purple high heels. I could hear people talking. Everyone's conversations filled my ears and gave me a headache. _

"_How… Did I get here?" I asked myself. Everything seemed so real. The buildings, the streets, the people, I could see them all as clear as day. _

"Hello?_" I called out. Nobody looked. Nobody stopped. Nobody cared. _

"Hello?!_" I shouted and still nobody acknowledged my presence. I sighed. _

"_This isn't Shibuya… This… Isn't right…" I shook my head. "_Why am I here?!_" As the last word left my mouth, I heard my phone's text ringtone blaring at me. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out._

"Somebody can see me._" I couldn't help but smile. I wasn't alone in this screwed up town. I opened the new text message I had received to find a note from an unknown sender. _

"Find a partner and go to the 104 building. Fail, and face erasure._"_

"_What the hell does this person mean? Erasure?" I asked myself. "A partner? Nobody can see or hear me. What the hell is going on?!" I felt confused, lost, and irritated all at the same time. I closed my eyes again. That's when I felt it. The feeling of a knife slicing across the palm of my hand. I flinched as I could now feel the pain increasing. _

"Damn._" I cursed and looked down at the palm of my now burning hand. I uncurled my fingers to find numbers etched across my palm, the digits slowly decreasing as the seconds passed. _

"The Noise! The Noise is coming! I need a partner! Somebody! Hurry!" _Someone near called out. _

"_Noise?" I opened my eyes to see a familiar girl running past me. "_Eri?_" I asked as she fled. Eri must've heard me because she stopped and turned. _

"Eri? No no! I'm Shiki! My name is Shiki…" _She looked at me, her eyes engulfed with fear. _

"S-Shiki? You can't be Shiki! Shiki has black hair. You're one of her best friends, Eri." _I said to her._

"W-who are you…?" _She asked. My eyes widened._

"You don't remember me?! I'm Neku remember!? Shiki's friend? You're in my History class!"

"I'm Shiki!" She exclaimed. "I'm not 'Eri.' Eri's… My… Best friend… But I-…" _Eri… No… Shiki? Started to trail off. Her voice becoming scared._

"The Noise! Quick!" _She shouted and grabbed my hand. _

"W-wait! What!?" _She pulled me forward with a strong tug._

"The Noise! If you lose to them, you'll be _erased!_" _Her last word hitting me like a ton of bricks. _Erased_... Isn't that what Joshua explained 'death' in the after-_

"Oh my god…" _I stopped._

"Hurry up! C'mon! We have to run!" _She pulled my arm forward._

"No… Let's fight it off!" _"There's gotta be a way…" _

"You need Pins! I can't use most of mine… Do you have any?"_ She asked me, her eyes focused on whatever was coming towards us. _

"Pins?" _I asked reaching into my pocket to feel a small metal disk. I pulled it out and opened my hand to see a black pin with a skull design on its circular face. I held it in my hand and examined it. When I looked up again I could hear many voices, not just the voices of the people talking to each other, but the voices in their minds. I grinded my teeth in frustration. My head was pounding._

"You know… Like… A round chip? That! That in your hand is the player pin. You can scan the minds of the living."

"Yeah. No kidding." _I said rubbing my temples. _"This is the only one I have." _I told her putting the pin back in my pocket. As soon as I did, I could hear only my own thoughts and the voices of the living… I sighed in relief._

"Well… That pin is useless in battle… But if you really wanna fight them, then here." _She placed another one of the circular metal chips in my hand. A picture of fire gleamed in the morning light on the pin's surface._

"I can't use that pin… I'm not good with psyches… So you can keep it." _She nodded._

"Thank-…" _I was cut off by Shiki's outburst._

"Quick! They're coming! Be my partner!"

"What?!"

"For the week! It's our mission!" _She exclaimed and locked our hands. A flash of bright light swallowed me. I closed my eyes, trying to avoid the harsh beam. When I opened them again, I could see what the girl had been talking about. Swirled symbols were headed for us at an alarming speed. I braced myself for whatever was going to happen next. _

"Get ready… Neku!"

* * *

**Chapter Five:**

**The Dream**

~*~

Neku opened his eyes to see his room, just as he had left it the night before. Morning light seeped through the windows on the ginger's ceiling. They left light patterns on the floors and walls of his room. Today was going to be bright and sunny; one of the nicest days out there before the weather turned hot and humid.

He was no longer in the Shibuya that Joshua had created; he was in his bed, tucked under his sheets. The ginger sighed heavily of relief.

"Just a dream… A dream that could possibly help me with ideas." Neku turned his head to see the piece of paper sitting peacefully on his nightstand. Neku slid up, his back now leaning against the headboard of his bed. The ginger reached over to the little table next to his bed and grabbed the first paper he saw and a sharpened pencil. He placed the paper in his lap and began to write the main points of his dream that could be used as ideas.

"Partners, Noise, Pins, Missions, People…" Neku mumbled to himself as he scribbled a few notes on the back of the scrap paper. He would just type it later and then present it to Joshua to look over and hopefully accept.

"_This sounds interesting… I'm starting to actually like this little idea he came up with…" _Neku thought as he put the pen back on his nightstand. He read the paper to himself a few times before nodding to himself.

"_I just hope Mrs. Konishi accepts it… It's all normal except for the afterlife…"_ Neku sighed before putting the piece of paper on top of his alarm clock which now read 10:46 am. The ginger sighed. He hadn't even been able to sleep half the day away. As if by habit, he grabbed his cell phone off his nightstand and flipped it open. He had 2 unread messages from earlier in the morning. He opened his inbox to see that they were both from Beat. The message read:

"**Yo Phones! I promised I'd buy yo some ramen today for lettin' me borrow your homework. Yo really saved me. Meet me, Rhyme, and Shiki at the 104 building at around 11:30. From there we can go shoppin' y'know?" **

Before responding, he quickly opened the other text message from the same sender just so he wouldn't end up sending two messages.

"**I ain't buyin' yo clothes. So bring your own money for that!" **

Neku smiled and then hit reply.

"_**Alright Beat. I'll meet you guys there. I'm going to get ready right now. I might be a little late." **_Neku typed and then hit send before dropping his phone on his bed. Lazily, the ginger pushed himself off the mattress and onto the ground below. The hardwood floors made Neku's feet cold as he walked across his room to his closet. He shuffled around the clothes for a bit before bringing a dark blue t-shirt out with a pair of dark jeans. He thought about it for a moment.

"Maybe I do need to buy some new clothes..." Neku shrugged as he examined the clothes he was holding by the hangers in his hand.

"Okay fine… I definitely need new clothes…." The ginger shook his head.

* * *

"**Dude, you're late! Hurry it up, Phones!" **

"_**I'm on my way now. I'll be there in three minutes."**_

The ginger sighed as he hit send. Neku was continued his hike through Shibuya. Right now, he was at the Statue of Hachiko, headed towards the 104 building. After picking out some clothes, he had taken a shower and got dressed. Before leaving, he grabbed his wallet with 10,000 yen he had saved up and left a note on the table for his mom, notifying her that he would be out for the day. He grabbed his house keys and locked up.

The streets were crowded today, people walked with others right at their heels. Some ran, late for their appointments, others walked and enjoyed the warm day. Neku tried to stay away from the larger groups of people, still unsure of them.

He looked down at his shoes, counting each step he took as he walked. Alone. When the ginger lifted his head again, he was standing in the Scramble Crossing. People dotted the streets in front of him, littering the air with more of their talking. Neku bit the inside of his mouth as he remembered his dream. He had been there, in the middle of the street, just laying there like a useless rock. Then Shiki dressed as Eri, had came running towards him yelling "The Noise is coming! The noise is coming!" Neku shook his head. This wasn't his dream. This was his reality. The ginger aimlessly continued his stroll to the 104 building, avoiding people as they brushed past him.

"Hey guys! I see him!" A familiar girls' voice called out over the other voices.

"Where?" A deeper voice asked

"He's coming. There's no mistaking his ginger hair." The girl said again. Neku smiled as he pushed through the crowd and finally saw his friends leaning against the brick fence.

"There!" Rhyme called out with a smile spread across her lips.

"Hey guys." Neku waved and jogged over.

"You take to long." Shiki waved back and smiled.

"Sorry. I woke up late and I had to take a shower.

"S'kay man! So, let's head over to Ramen Don's shop. Then afterwards, we can go shoppin'." Beat nodded and started off for Dogenzaka.

"Right behind ya, Beat!" Shiki and Rhyme called out in unison. Neku ran after them before the girls could get too far ahead of them. As they rounded the corner, Neku noticed a slight decrease in the amount of people. Neku wasn't certain it would stay that way for long, especially with it so close to lunch. They were nearing the ramen shop now, the smell of the noodles was so strong that he could taste it.

Up ahead, Neku could see Beat slowing down before coming to a complete stop in front of the Chinese noodle bar. The girls also stopped, almost causing Neku to crash into them.

"Watch it!" Neku stopped on his heels before falling on top of them.

"Sorry Neku! But, we're here!" Rhyme giggled as she watched Neku stumble a bit.

"Let's go! I'm buying!" Beat exclaimed as he ran through the open door to the small restaurant. Shiki Rhyme and Neku followed the taller blond and to find the shop almost empty.

"Awesome! We get our food fast and we can find a table easily!" Shiki said as she waited in line behind two other people.

"Not a bad day for ramen either." Neku nodded joining Shiki's side.

"Yo guys! I'll order 'fo us. You three jus' grab a table and I'll be there in a bit." Beat nodded. "I got dis." He gave them a quick thumbs up.

"Alright." Neku shrugged and led the way to his favorite booth at the back of the restaurant, his shoes making tapping noises as he walked on the tiled floor. When he reached the table he slid over to the inside seat, while the two girls trailing behind took the two seats across from him.

"You excited to go shopping today, Shiki?" Rhyme asked as soon as they sat down.

"Yup! I can't wait to see Shibuya's latest fashion. I can give Eri the heads up and she can start her new designs! How about you Neku?" Shiki smiled. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah I guess. I need some new clothes…" Neku nodded.

"I can help you!" Shiki exclaimed as soon as the words left the ginger's mouth.

"Uhh. N-no. That's okay."

"Aww c'mon! I'm great with fashion!" Shiki laughed.

"Yeah, but I don't plan on being your little dress up doll." Neku grimaced at the thought. Shiki laughed and Rhyme joined in.

"I'm sure you'll have fun anyways." Rhyme nodded after she finished laughing.

"I will be picking an outfit out for you though_" Shiki was cut off by Beat calling out to the three teens.

"Got it!" Beat smiled as he set the try of Chinese noodles on the table before sliding in the seat next to the ginger.

"Thanks Beat." Rhyme smiled at her older brother before grabbing a bowl of shio ramen for herself.

"Yeah! Thanks Beat!" Shiki nodded as she grabbed her own bowl miso ramen.

Neku only nodded as he grabbed what Beat had ordered for him. He looked down at the bowl and easily distinguished it at shoyu ramen.

"And for me, tonkotsu ramen!" Beat nodded.

"This is delicious, Beat! Thanks!" Shiki laughed after she took her first bite.

"No prob!" Beat smiled. "I hope I got you the right kind, Phones."

"It's good. Shoyu ramen is one of my favorites." Neku nodded taking another chopstick full.

"Good. Cause I wasn't about to get up and ask for anything else." Beat laughed and punched Neku shoulder playfully while the ginger almost choked.

"Yeah, yeah." Neku said after he swallowed his mouthful of ramen while the girls laughed.

* * *

They finished their Ramen, exchanging conversations about the day before when a subject came up that Neku really didn't feel like discussing. He just wanted to sit and enjoy a nice day off with his best friends but no. _He _had to be brought into the conversations by Shiki, always making sure that he was alright.

"So, did Joshua e-mail you last night?" She had asked after finishing her meal.

Neku rolled his eyes at the name.

"No. He ended up dropping a note through my ceiling window. How he got up there and why he didn't just give it to my mom, remains unknown. But we have started coming up with ideas for the project..."

"That's excellent! I'm glad you two are being civil about it." Shiki smiled placing her used chopsticks back on the tray.

"Whatever. It's only a matter of time before I try to rip the guys' head off." Neku put his elbows on the table and let his head rest on his arms. "And hopefully succeed." Neku mumbled into the palm of his hand.

"Be nice, Neku. It's only two weeks of your life." Shiki shook her head in annoyance.

"Whatever." Neku sighed.

"Ah. That hit the spot!" Beat said as he leaned back against the plastic back of the booth.

"Mhm! It was very good, Beat." Rhyme said putting her chopsticks on the tray.

"Hehe. Was it 'A party in your mouth?'?" Shiki giggled.

"That was one time!" Beat chuckled. "I did't think it would be _that_ funny!"

"Here, I'll bring the trays and garbage up." Shiki said after she finished laughing. She got up from her seat and grabbed the tray.

"Thanks for lunch, Beat." Neku nodded.

"No prob. Now I don't owe you no more!" Beat beamed.

"_At least all your problems have been solved…" _Neku sighed.

"It's your turn to choose the store we go to first, Ladies." Beat laughed as they stood outside of the Ramen shop.

"Oh! Rhyme! Wanna head over to D&B? I heard they have a new and exclusive fashion line now available!" Shiki exclaimed with excitement.

"Sure! Let's go! Last _guy_ there has to try on a dress!" Rhyme and Shiki took off leaving the two guys alone.

"H-hey! Wait up!" Neku called up leaving the tall blond behind.

"Yo! What the fuck!" Beat ran after him.

From here, Neku could easily catch up to the girls. He was much faster then both of them but he didn't feel like having an argument. As long as Beat stayed behind him, he'd be safe from the horrific dare. However, the taller blond was slowly catching up to the ginger's side.

"I am not trying a dress on!" Beat exclaimed as he caught up to Neku.

"Hell! I'm not either!" Neku huffed and accelerated.

"Yeah? We'll see about that!" Beat chuckled as he easily ran past him leaving Neku in dead last.

"_Shit…_" Neku whispered under his breath. He tried to gain speed but it was too late… He lost the struggle and now, he had to pay the ultimate consequences.

"Haha! Neku has to wear a dress!" Beat pointed and laughed. Neku huffed.

"I can refuse." Neku glared.

"If you refuse, I'll tell… Joshua, that you secretly like him!" Shiki giggled.

"That's really harsh, Shiki." Rhyme noted, trying to stick up for the ginger.

"He lost the challenge_"

"That I never agreed to. And I swear, if you tell Joshua that, I'll _never_ talk to you again." Neku sighed.

"Whatever! You still have to participate!" Shiki put her hands on her hips and scowled.

"The dare is pretty bad…" Rhyme added.

"Neku has to learn to have a little fun."

"Okay, okay fine. As long as nobody sees." Neku grumbled, finally giving in.

"That's fair, I guess." Shiki nodded at Rhyme who smiled.

"Haha! Neku has to wear a dress!" Beat repeated and was now laughing harder.

"Shut the hell up Beat." Neku glared. Beat's laughter turned into the occasional chuckle.

"We're wasting time just standing here, let's go!" Rhyme chimed in and dashed into the store.

"I'll pick out a dress for you. Just give me a moment" Shiki winked and followed the short blond into the store.

"God dammit." Neku frowned as he followed Beat who was walking towards the entrance already.

"Hehe. So, Neku. What dress are yo planning on wearin'? How 'bout something pink and frilly." Beat chuckled.

"Quiet or I swear I'll_"

"I'd like to see yo try." Beat laughed.

"Shut up." Neku mumbled and strayed away from the tall blond.

_"I don't need your insults. joking or not._" Neku sighed as he scanned the store around him. "_Oh I can't wait to see what dress Shiki makes me try on for her. This is the worst punishment yet." _

"Oh Neku! I found the perfect one!" Shiki called out from across the store. Unwillingly, Neku trudge towards her, to see what monstrosity he would be forced into.

"_I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this, I don't want to_" _Neku's thoughts stopped as soon as he saw the dress Shiki held in her hands.

"You're kidding… Right…?" Neku starred at the dress, wishing that he had just sped up just a little bit at the end of the race. The garment she held in her arms was a dark blue sundress with straps as thin as pasta. The bottom was trimmed with golden lace and a yellow bow was tied around the waist. In the ginger's eyes, the dress had to be the ugliest garment he'd ever seen.

"What? It's your favorite colors." Shiki eyed the dress she now held by the hanger.

The ginger could hear clothes racks being pushed aside near him.

_"What if they see the dre_" _Neku's thoughts were cut off by Beat's loud voice coming from behind him.

"So what did yo decide to- Whoa…" Beat paused as soon as his eyes caught sight of the hideous dress. "You're making him wear _that_?!" Beat exclaimed as he almost fell over laughing. Neku shook his head in frustration.

"It could be worse…" Rhyme said as she brushed the ginger's shoulder with her small hand. "It could've been that Lolita maid dress up there." The short blond pointed to the wall where a pink and frilly dress hung on the wall for all eyes to see.

"Oh my god! Shiki! Make Phones wear that!" Beat managed to choke out between his laughter.

"Shut the hell up Beat!" Neku hissed.

"Hehe. I change my mind Neku. I think you'll look rather adorable in that Lolita dress." Shiki smiled evilly while hanging the dress back on the rack she got it from.

"This isn't fair!" Neku pleaded as Shiki browsed the shelves for his size.

"Relax Phones. Nobody's gonna see 'ya cept us. This is all for fun so jus' chill, A'ight?" Beat chuckled, patting the ginger's back.

_"Easy for you to say!"_ Neku groaned. "_You're not the one who has to wear it._"

"Neku, stop being a poor sport, Rhyme, go lead Neku to a dressing room, Beat, you help me find the right size." Shiki flashed a smile at Rhyme before the younger blond grabbed the gingers hand.

"Yes Ma'am!" Rhyme saluted with her free hand before pulling Neku towards the fitting rooms.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" Neku shook his head as Beat's little sister walked him to the back of the store.

"Remember what Beat said? It's just for fun. Don't fret about it." She said as she loosened her strong grip on his hand.

"It's still humiliating." Neku sighed as he nearly was lead into a clothes rack.

"Hehe. At least she's not making you wear high hells as well!" Rhyme giggled at the thought.

"I'd walk right out of this store if she even suggested it." Neku chuckled. "I just hate how she treats me like her own dress-up doll whenever we go shopping together y'know?"

"I can understand that." Rhyme nodded and let go of his hand now as they neared the dressing rooms. She paused in front of the first changing station she could find, right by the entrance of the small area.

"This'll do." Rhyme smiled and pushed the ginger into the enclosed room. She then quickly shut the curtain behind him making escape impossible.

"Shiki is on her way so just be ready…" Rhyme's voice carried through the thin fabric that block his exit.

"I still don't want to do this…" Neku sighed as he pulled his blue shirt off and let if fall to the floor.

"Just get it over with. The faster you are, the less time you have to spend in the dress." The younger blond stated.

"Hey Neku! I got the dress!" A new but recognizable voice called out from the other side of the curtain.

"Oh joy." Neku sighed.

"I'm so glad that I ain't yo 'ight now." Beat voice trailed through as well.

"Yeah yeah." The ginger rolled his eyes as he was hit in the head with the pink monstrosity from hell.

"Can't. Breathe!" Neku called out as fumbled with the dress, trying to get it off his head.

"Quit yo whining, Phones." Beat chuckled. The ginger finally found a sleeve and then the other one. He held it up in front of him and looked at the dress in pure disgust.

"I don't even know how the hell I'm supposed to put this on…" Neku protested further.

"You're so hopeless!" Shiki called out. "That's it. I'm going in." She sighed and disappeared behind the curtain.

"No don't! G-Get out of here Shiki! Gah! Help!"

* * *

I tried my hardest to get this uploaded in time! I think I did an okay job...

I also wanted to let you know that I won't be uploading for a few weeks. I'll be going on vacation and I won't have a computer. I'm terribly sorry! I hope this satisfies you until then. Yup! Cliffhanger. You may throw rotten food at me now. Oh, and I'm sorry Twi. I wasn't able to fit Sho in this one. D: And I'm also sorry to Nami. The answer is no. Joshua will not stop being a dick for a while!

**BE KIND. REVIEWS MAKE ME FEEL SUPER SPECIAL AWESOME! :D**


	6. Humiliation

**I hate you**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

_Damn you Shiki._

_I was standing in the dressing room while she toyed with the zipper on the back of the Lolita dress she forced me to put on. This was probably the most humiliating thing that I had ever had to deal with. I guess it can't be helped now though. I lost the race and my dignity to go with it. Not to mention that Shiki already had the dress on me… I was ignoring the praises and squeals of joy that Shiki would exclaim every few seconds as she fixed the outfit to the way it should be. In a few more moments, the curtain that shields me from the others would be cast aside leaving me to be laughed at by Beat and his kinder sister, Rhyme. Sure. They'd laugh. But, they promised to keep it just a little inside joke between them. It couldn't get any worse, right?_

_Well guess what?_

_It got worse. A whole lot worse. It wasn't Beat's face as soon as he saw me standing there in the frilled maid outfit after Shiki pulled the curtain with a 'Ta-da!' It wasn't the fact that the shopkeeper also saw me and had to hide a smile from my eyes. It wasn't how Shiki was always fixing the dress to make it perfect, no. It was that I could hear the front door opening, the little bell chiming as a new customer strolled in. The little bell was followed by footsteps in the almost empty store… Footsteps and a voice, a voice that I had learned to hate more then standing here looking like a fool._

_Why was this the dare that I had to do? I thought as a tired to push myself farther into the dressing room to avoid getting caught by the newcomer. Why didn't I speed up at the last minute to avoid losing? Why…? Why? Why?

* * *

_

**Chapter Six:**

**Humiliation**

The tall blond was almost in tears while he tried to catch his breath between his laughter.

"Shut up!" Neku hissed as he backed away into the dressing room, the mirror hanging on the wall cold against his back.

"Aw Neku! It's not that bad! You look so cute!" Shiki squealed as she pinched the ginger's cheeks. He immediately slapped her hand away.

"Cut it out! I'm serious guys."

"Chill dude! Nobody else is here!" Beat coughed.

_"How would you know? You've been laughing too fucking loud for the past minute." _Neku glared into the blond teen's eyes.

"Shiki's right though Neku. It's not bad." Rhyme hid her giggles behind her hand.

"I'm taking it off right no_" Neku was cut off by a voice from the other side of the wall.

"I'll just be a moment. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." The voice said as the ginger could hear footsteps coming towards the fitting rooms.

"Shit." He cursed under his breath and grabbed the thin curtain of the fitting room and whipped it closed.

"Damn! I forgot to get a picture!" Shiki sighed from behind the fabric.

On the other side of the thin wall, Neku was struggling to break free of the pink laces and frills of the maid outfit. He couldn't find the damn zipper and time was running short. The footsteps he heard earlier had already entered the dressing room, creating echoes that bounced off the walls. Closer, closer…

"Why hello there, Shiki, Rhyme, and Beat. I didn't expect to see you three here." That voice. Familiar and clear, it came pounding through the ginger's ears.

"Hi Josh." They said in chorus. Neku shut his eyes tightly as if exposing himself to darkness could make him disappear from the reality he was in right now. He wasn't standing in a dressing room with a pink dress on. No, he was back at home, still sleeping the hours of the day away, or, so he wished.

"Hm. Where's Neku? He's usually with you guys." Joshua asked, his shadow appearing on the tile floor behind the curtain.

"He's…" Rhyme started to speak but was arrogantly cut off.

"Phones is trying something on right now!" Beat chuckled.

"Oh? Well. Hello there, Neku." Joshua spoke behind his smile, the words drifting through the fabric.

"… Hi." Neku spoke behind his clenched jaw. _"God. Why you. Why you of all fucking people? Why especially now?"_

"Speaking of which, Neku, do you need help again?" Beat called out trying to hide his chuckles. "Shiki would be happy to assist you again!"

"Shut the hell up Beat. No. No I do _fucking _not." Neku cursed at his friend.

"So harsh. You should be kinder to your friends, Neku." Joshua giggled.

"All of you just shut up and go away." Neku growled, his fist becoming tighter with each word. He continuously fumbled with the zipper, trying to slide the metal down so he could slip out of the dress and push his way out of the store.

"What in the world could've possibly made you this way? You're never irritated before I talk to you." Joshua spoke behind his grin. Neku's palm hurt. His nails had been digging into the soft skin of his hand creating small cuts.

"I said, go away." Neku sighed unclenching his fist, feeling his palm sting from his recent action.

"Hmph. It's rude to not face the person you're talking to." Joshua said as his shadow silhouette appeared on the curtain. Neku could see the fabric bunching up at the end which caused a rush of panic to run through his body.

"Don't you dare!" Neku jumped at the curtain, latching on to the thin sheet and holding on to avoid landing on the ground below.

"What are you do_" Shiki's voice was cut off by Neku's protest.

"No! Joshua, stop!" Neku exclaimed before it was too late. The ginger could see the fabric starting to tear at the top. Neku's face flushed as he was falling. Falling forward to the hard tiled ground. He closed his eyes and waited for his life to be over. Joshua would laugh and have yet another way to insult him further. Time slowed. It was as if the whole world around was stalled, his heart thudding in his chest. He waited for the pain that he knew he would fell in a few delayed seconds.

It happened in an instant. The ginger hit the floor, losing his breath as he fell hard on his chest. Neku tilted his head down and opened his tightly shut eyes. He saw the thin sheet clenched in his hands in front of four pairs of legs. The ginger sighed and took a glance up at the people that stood over him. Their expressions of horror… As well as _his_ expression of amusement. Neku sighed and looked into the gray haired teen's purple eyes. His life was over. Joshua would never let him out of this easily. He wasn't the type of person that would just forget everything that had just happened all in an instant.

"_If you just sped up…"_

"Oh my gosh… Neku! I'm so sorry!"

"_You wouldn't be…"_

"Neku! Are you alright?"

"_Lying on the floor…"_

"Yo man! That wasn't supposed 'ta happen."

_"Looking like..."_

_ "_Neku! Say something!"

"_An idiot…" _

"I'm really sorry!"

"It's okay Shiki." Neku sighed and pushed himself off the floor slowly, his shoulder hurting from the fall.

"Well Neku," Joshua started. "Hehe. I give you credit. You don't look half bad in that dress." The gray haired teen giggled as he watched the ginger stand up on his two feet. Joshua placed his hands in his pockets and smirked.

"Oh shut up." Neku sighed rubbing his shoulder. "Shiki, can you help with this curtain. I want this thing off. Now." Neku held back his anger.

"Sur_"

"Shiki will help you in a moment, Neku. But first, I need you to do one thing…" Joshua cut her off and looked into the ginger's blue eyes, mischief glowing in his own.

"Why would I do anything for you?" Neku frowned and then sighed. "What do you want?"

"I want you to, SMILE!" Joshua quickly snatched his phone from his pocket and held it up to his face. The shutter went off with a snap, leaving Neku's terrified face left.

"God dammit Yoshiya! Delete that picture or I'll_"

"You'll what? You wouldn't dare." Joshua smirked and flipped his phone shut.

"Wanna bet?" Neku held his fist up.

"Says the guy in the dress?" Joshua sighed.

"Josh, this was only meant to be a joke. Please delete it." Shiki pleaded.

"Hmm… Well, if I keep the picture, I could use it against Neku in every way possible… However, he'd be a terrible partner for the project we've been working on."

"_We've?" _Neku glared.

"Hmph. Alright." Joshua flipped his phone open and pressed a few buttons before he spoke again.

"It's over. You can keep your dignity, Neku." Joshua smiled.

"What's left of it?" The ginger heard Beat whispered to Shiki with a chuckle.

"… Prove it." Neku challenged.

"… What a pain. Alright fine." The purpled eyed teen sighed as he handed the orange cell phone over to Neku. He snatched the phone and found his way to the picture files. As he scrolled through them, he started to feel more relaxed.

"Was I lying?" Joshua shrugged as Neku flipped the phone shut.

"Guess not." The ginger handed the mobile over which Joshua took and shoved it back into his pocket.

"Well, I've got to go. I promised Mr. H I wouldn't be long. Good-bye Shiki, Beat, Rhyme… Neku." The teen started to walk away.

"Ass." Neku mumbled.

"Don't forget about those ideas, sunshine." Joshua turned with a smirk before disappearing around the corner.

"Sunshine?" Beat looked over at the ginger.

"_Jerk."

* * *

_

**Another late submit? Yes. Yes I agree. **

Sorry! I really don't mean to post this late... I just get so distracted! Plus I haven't had any motivation. I've been too obsessed with a new anime I've been watching. (Kuroshitsuji) It's taken over my mind process... Those are my lame excuses... Sorry again.

**REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW...**

**Please? :[  
**


	7. Monday

**I hate you**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

_The day was finally over. A perfect Saturday with shopping, friends, and ramen. Who could ask for anything better? Oh right, I forgot to mention, Joshua saw me in a dress. _

_No. It wasn't one of those sundresses that Shiki liked to wear in the summer; it was a fluffy pink Lolita dress. A maid based one to describe it better. Y'know, with the frills and the lace and ugh. It was the most humiliating thing I had ever done, and now Joshua, the damn bastard, was probably going to tell the whole school so I can suffer a life of being laughed at. If I stayed where I was in the dressing room and didn't trip, he wouldn't of saw me standing there wearing a pink monster. Why me? Why couldn't it have been somebody else? _

_Whatever. Let the damn guy ruin my life. I won't show him how I really feel. Maybe he'll lose interest and go pick on a freshman or something like that. Just make him go away and never bother me again…_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Seven:**

**Monday**

_'You got Mail!' _The voice came blasting through the ginger's speakers. He looked at the name of the sender and scowled when he finally recognized the username.

_"You can't ever leave me alone can you? I'm not lazy. I have my ideas. When are you going to contribute yours?"_

He shook his head and opened the e-mail with a frown.

"_Dear Neku,_

_ You looked simply ADOREABLE in that Lolita dress you wore today. It's too bad I couldn't get a better picture of you wearing it, however. You'll have to try on another one for me later. How are the idea's coming? Tomorrow is Sunday. Don't let me down, Sunshine. Can't wait to hear what your creative little mind came up with. _

_ With Love, _

_ Joshua Kiryu"_

"I was right." The ginger growled. "The bastard will never let me live it down. Thanks a lot Shiki."

He angrily clicked 'delete' and slammed his laptop shut with a long sigh of pure hatred and disgust.

* * *

"So how's your project coming along?" Shiki asked as she shifted her seat in the grass.

"Great. Just so great. I come up with ideas and Joshua sits at his computer and e-mails me motivational statements and about how 'adorable' I looked in that fucking Lolita dress." Neku glared at the ground.

The group was sitting under one of the trees just outside their high school discussing the rest of their weekend. The four friends hadn't spoken a word to each other since Saturday afternoon. It was Monday now and they were dying to hear what each did for the rest of their weekend. For Neku, not much happened. His Sunday was boring. He spent the day around the house trying to find something to do. He had cleaned his room, worked on his social studies report, and came up with new opinions about his project. The others seemed to have had a more lively time.

"Sounds like you had fun." Beat said sarcastically. "Me 'n Rhyme hung out 'round Shibuya."

"Hehe, well at least it was something other then lying around the house all day." Rhyme smiled.

"What'd you do?" The ginger turned to Shiki.

"Oh, Eri came over! We spent the whole day discussing new fashion and drawing up new designs. I can't wait to try and sew them! We had this one outfit with this plaid skirt and this_"

Neku sighed. He wasn't into fashion as much as Shiki and got bored whenever she went on one of these crazes. Instead, he scanned the school yard. His antagonist wasn't here yet that he could see. He relaxed a bit.

"_My embarrassment will be sparred for at least a few more minutes." _He frowned.

"_The jacket is just the cutest thing you've ever seen! I want to wear it to school one of these days… If I can make it of course. Don't they sound awesome?"  
"Yeah." The ginger forced a smile, while leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"They sound great, Shiki. Maybe you could make me an outfit someday?" Rhyme suggested with a giggle.

"Haha, Sure! Just tell me what you'd like and I'll try my best." Shiki laughed.

"After you're done with Rhyme's outfit, maybe you could sew up a Lolita dress for Phones here." Beat laughed and messed up the ginger's hair. Neku groaned.

"Cut it out." He slapped the blond's hand away.

"Chill Neku, he was only kidding." Shiki smiled.

"Whatever. That was a one time thing and we swore that it wouldn't leave the dressing room." Neku stared out into the distance at the horizon which was quickly corrupted by a bus slowly wheezing by.

The sun had been up for about an hour now, but the morning dew still sparkled in the brilliant light. Neku closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the moist air.

"I take it you did your homework today, Beat." Shiki commented.

"Yup! I told 'ya I could do it, Rhyme!" Beat said proudly.

"Good, now keep it up." The younger blond smiled.

"Oh, don't look now, Neku, but here comes Josh…" Shiki laughed nervously.

Neku opened his dark blue eyes and followed her gaze to the teen that he loathed. He was slowly making his way over, a smile spreading across his lips with each step. Neku turned away to avoid eye contact.

"_When does my new life in shame begin?" _He silently wondered as he gazed at the clouds through the leaves.

"Hello Neku." Joshua's voice was cheery but with a tone of mockery.

"Tch." The ginger rolled his eyes before lowering them to look at the gray-haired teen's shoes.

"How incredibly rude Neku. No hello? Somebody must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed." He smirked. "Let's see those ideas. You do have them, right?" He held out his outstretch palm.

"Yeahh, yeah." Neku ground his teeth together while he pulled his dark blue satchel over to where he was sitting. He started to shift around looking for the piece of freshly printed paper.

"Hello Shiki, Rhyme, and Beat. How is it going with you three?" The gray haired teen asked with a smile.

"Hey Joshua. Nothing much." Rhyme beamed back.

"Here." Neku looked away as he held out the typed paper.

"Thanks dear." The gray haired teen smirked as he politely took the paper and read it over. The ginger watched the other teen's purple eyes flick back and fourth as he read over his work. His eyes seemed to sparkle with interest as he neared the bottom of the page. The ginger couldn't help but to smile with his own pride.

"Opinions?" His smiled turned into a look of disgust. "Is it everything you wanted and more?"

"Oh of course… Hm. It's O.K." Joshua smiled.

"That's it?" Neku glared.

"Well, it's a start. However, there are still many places for improvement." Joshua let the paper fall into the ginger's hands.

"Great. Thanks for your brilliant critique." Neku mumbled.

"You're welcome." Joshua giggled.

"I'm so glad to be your partner Joshua. I really am." Neku started.

The gray haired teen frowned in confusion.

"I'm glad I have a partner that sits on his ass all day and e-mails me encouragement while I come up with ideas for _our_ project." The ginger scowled.

"Calm down Neku…" Shiki put her hands on his shoulders in a comforting way. "It's alright Neku. You both did an equal amount of work. I'm sure Joshua had his own ideas too."

"She's right, Neku. I too have ideas for our project." Joshua said while taking a seat on the grass next to the ginger.

"Well let's hear them, then." Neku challenged while scooting over, not liking how close his enemy sat.

"Well, while you were coming up with ideas to go along with the base, I was thinking more about what to call those officials to make sure the people stay in line. I figure that those people could be called Reapers. The Reapers are allowed to erase people, but only on day 7. These Reapers basically protect and stand below the GM, or Game Master who is also a Reaper, but a very powerful one. Defeat the GM, and you can go back to the RG, or Realground as opposed to the UG or Underground. Then there's the Composer. The Composer is the creator of the game. He is god-like and he makes up the rules of the game as well as missions." Joshua smirked and narrowed his eyes.

Neku glared back. "_You should've known… He thought it out perfectly… Give him some credit…" _

"Well Sunshine, what do you think? Do you still believe that I am 'A lazy partner that sits on his ass all day'?"

"_… No. But you're still a heartless bastard."_ Neku fought back to say his thoughts aloud. "No. I'm…"

"Sorry? Yeah, you had that coming to you." Joshua sighed and lifted himself off the grass. "You know Neku, you need to give me more credit… I'm not that bad of a guy." The gray-haired teen's eyes softened.

"_Now I get the sympathy talk. 'You're the bad person Neku. Seriously. You're such a rude guy and you need to be more open minded.' Blah blah blah."_

Joshua sighed. "Thank you for your ideas. They were pretty good…" He looked away as he crossed his arms over his chest. When he looked back, the smirk had replanted itself on his face. "But myself saying thank you won't stop me from stealing your headphones."

"Hey! You said you wouldn't touch them!" Neku glared while pinning his purple speakers to his ears.

"Hehe. I said I wouldn't lay a _finger_ on them. Not my hands." Joshua smiled.

"… Go away Yoshiya." Neku groaned.

"Alright, alright. E-mail me later when you find out when our next date is, Sunshine." Joshua giggled while walking away to meet up with some of his friends.

Neku only shook his head and leaned back against the tree.

* * *

I am so, so, so, so, so, sorry for not updating in a long time. I've been so obsessed with Kuroshitsuji that I forgot that I had this story to finish... I promise that the updating will continue and not take 4 months... If you've stopped reading this story and are pissed off that I'm just updating now, then I don't blame you... I'm so sorry again... I feel awful.

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**VVVV**


	8. The Last Straw

**I hate you**

_Shiki, Rhyme and Beat, They were exceptions. But… _He_ was not…_

NekuxJoshua. The World Ends with You. (TWEWY)

**!Yaoi Warning!**

The World Ends With You © Square Enix

_ What a surprise. Pretty boy actually said that he _liked_ my ideas. To my surprise, he also came up with his own… He made me sound like a total dick though. "Well Sunshine, what do you think? Do you still believe that I am 'A lazy partner that sits on his ass all day'?" What a bastard. Can I really complain though? At least he's holding up his part of the deal… _

_ The plan is almost finished. Joshua and I have to meet up one of these nights and figure out the rest. To tell you the truth, I'd rather play this game three times over before I'd ever agree to hang out with Joshua. If he thinks he's off the hook that easily, then he's mistaken._

**Chapter Eight:**

**The Last Straw**

The ginger awoke to a harsh ringing in his ears. He opened his dark blue eyes and was instantly met with beams of bright sunlight. He blinked twice trying to get his vision to work correctly. It took him a few moments to realize what was going on.

"_Study hall… Right… Must've fallen asleep…_" Neku let out a deep sigh.

"Yo Phones? You awake? Time for gym." Somebody was tapping his shoulder. The ginger lazily turned his head to see Beat standing behind him.

"Ugh. Really?" Neku groaned as he pushed himself out of his chair, grabbing his blue satchel which hung on the back of his seat.

"Did you get anything done? Anything at all?" The tall blond asked while looking at the blank papers on Neku's desk.

"Not really… I was trying to come up with more ideas for the project…" The ginger spoke slowly as he shoved the blank pages in his pocket and headed for the door to the hallway.

"_Joshua still knows my secret. I have to keep the jerk happy. He'll tell the whole school about the dress if I don't. Worst part about that is that they'll probably believe him."_

"Dude, it's not due for another two weeks. Why ya anxious to get it done so fast?" Beat asked following close behind.

"The less time I have to spend with Joshua, the better." Neku said weaving his way through the packed hallways of the school. "Just like the faster we get to gym class; the faster it'll be over with."

The ginger hated gym. It was almost as bad as Mr. Minamimoto's class. Gym itself wasn't all bad. It was easy. All you had to do was show up. It was the fact that Joshua was in the class that made it hell, the fact that the little shit could still spill Neku's secret made him weary.

_"This is probably exactly what he's planning. Waiting for a huge crowd… Then he'll tell them about the dress…"_

"… Phones? You there?" Beat was waving his hand in front of the gingers eyes.

"Huh?"

"What activity is Miss. Yashiro planning on making us do today? I spaced out when she was talkin' to us last class…" Beat frowned.

"Don't know, don't give a damn." The ginger said while holding the gym doors open to allow blond to pass.

"Heh. Won't be that bad Phones. Maybe Joshua'll skip again?" Beat chuckled.

"Yeah? How do you know that? He's probably coming so he can get a time and place to discuss ideas. I really don't want to hang out with that guy…"

"Dude. Maybe Shiki's right. He's not that bad. Give the kid more credit." The blonde replied while turning the corner into the boy's locker room.

"_What the hell for? The kid won't quit. He never will. That's just not how he is. I don't trust him._" The ginger thought while the heavy scent of cologne, sweat, and old sneakers filled his nose. He cringed in disgust.

The teens changed in silence, Neku keeping a close eye on the door. Before long, the small room was filled with people and unnecessary talking. One voice stood out above the rest however. It increased in volume making the ginger frown in annoyance as he scanned the room. He blindly tied his blue sneakers before looking back to the blond who was checking his phone.

"Ready?" The ginger asked with a hint of frustration.

"Yeah. Let's bounce." Beat flipped his phone shut and flashed a smile. Neku turned and advanced towards the door to the gym in an attempt to avoid his antagonist at all costs.

"Looks like dodgeball…" Beat commented as they walked through the large metal doors and into the brightly lit gymnasium.

Neku frowned. "Anything that involves us killing each other…"

"Right?" Beat chuckled as he followed the ginger to the corner of the room.

The gymnasium was built like any other. Wood floors covered in dust, water bottles and candy wrappers littering the stands, and the basketball hoops which hung from scratched backboards. Posters and banners that were hung on the wall a few months back still had "Go team!" printed on them in faded bubble letters. A few months prior, and the area would've screamed school spirit with waxed floors, breathable air, and sparkling bleachers due to the ever-so-popular basketball season. Now that it was over, the janitors were too lazy to give the place a quick clean-up. Quite frankly, it didn't matter. It was a gymnasium, not a museum.

Slowly the room started to fill with the familiar faces of the ginger's classmates. However, he and Beat remained in the corner away from the group forming around the circle at half court.

"Still looking for Josh?" Beat asked. Neku sighed.

"Yeah. He's already here though. I'm just trying to avoid his gaze." The ginger replied while taking a glance at the gray-haired teen. Before Beat could speak again, Miss. Yashiro strode into the room, her sneakers scuffing the gym floor every few steps.

"Get in your attendance line. You should know the drill already." Neku was certain that she mouthed a 'you little shit's' after her sentence. With a roll of his eyes, the ginger and Beat strode over to the line forming against the wall. They found their spots and waited for the pink-haired teacher to give the O.K.

"Looks like everybody is here. Good. An even number for dodge ball." Miss. Yashiro frowned as she turned away to get the gym assembled correctly.

It wasn't long before Joshua noticed that Neku was standing only a few people away.

"If I'm correct, Neku, you had a study hall last period. Any more wonderful ideas for me?" His purple eyes gleamed in defiance as he stepped out of line to confront the ginger.

Neku rolled his blue eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "No, Joshua. I do not."

Joshua pursed his lips. "You're not slacking off on me, are you?"

"_God, I'm tired of this guy."_

"Well what about you, Joshua? Do you have any _brilliant _ideas?" Neku imitated the teen's previous question.

"Unlike you, I had a class." Joshua shook his head. "Tsk tsk, Neku."

"Whatever." Neku sighed.

"Well we still have the rest of the project to do. When do you suppose we should work on it? I'm not so great at art. I'll leave that to you." Joshua smirked.

"I don't know… I guess after school one of these days." Neku mumbled.

"What was that, Sunshine?" Joshua giggled. "Don't bother repeating yourself. Wednesday. Work for you?"

"Yeah sure." Neku rolled his eyes.

"Good. Oh, and Neku? You're going to lose at dodge ball." With one last smirk, the gray-haired teen strode away.

_"… Great." _Neku scorned as Beat appeared by his side.

"Wha'd he say?"

"I get to spend my whole Wednesday afternoon with that creepy." The ginger watched Miss. Yashiro place red rubber balls on the half court line.

"Sucks to be you!" Beat chuckled.

"Don't rub it in." Neku glared.

"You'll get over it. C'mon. You can take your frustration away with a little dodge ball." Beat took the lead across the gym as Miss. Yashiro started to call names for teams.

As the ginger followed, he couldn't help but to remember Joshua's challenge.

"_My team won't lose. I certainly won't lose to you." _Neku hid a smile as he found his a front line position.

"I'm sure we all know the rules to dodge ball by now. No hits above the shoulders, if you catch a ball thrown, the other player is out and another one of your teammates can come back in. Whatever. At the whistle." Miss. Yashiro started, her voice echoing through the beamed ceiling. With a chirp, the game was on. Players ran to the half court line snagging a ball. Some weren't so lucky as they sprinted away from the oncoming meteor shower of red rubber. Neku stood his ground as he watched the opposing team throw and his team dodge. In the rush of confusion, the ginger managed to grab a ball which happened to roll by his feet. He gave it a toss and ended up sending one of the guys from the other side out. Neku grinned.

"Good throw." His teammate praised beside him.

His side was in the lead for most of the game. By the final stretch, he was left with three players on his side and two on the other. People that were sitting out were screaming for their live players to catch instead of dodge. With an awkward throw, one of Neku's teammates was sent to the bleachers. As the ginger watched him leave the court, he was almost hit by an oncoming ball.

"Be careful Neku." Joshua's grinned from the other side of the line.

"_Shut up._" Neku tossed a rubber ball. He knocked another player in his way out.

Two on two.

"Keep your head in the game!" Beat's voice rang out from the side lines.

"Try to catch one, Joshua!" A voice that Neku couldn't place a name to shouted. The game was currently tied. Neku took a single glance at the clock and suddenly felt relieved that this struggle was almost over. In his state of distraction, a ball was chucked aiming for the ginger's knees. The pain from the hit itself wasn't enough to hurt. The feeling of defeat? Well, that was a different story. Neku frowned and made his way to the bleachers.

"Sorry, Sunshine." Joshua giggled as he caught an oncoming ball. That was it. The game was over.

"_I don't understand. Why can't I win? Why can't I just beat him at his own game? Just for once!" _Neku frowned as he received pats of 'good try's'.

That was it. Neku was so sick of this game of cat and mouse. Neku was going to finish this project and then never talk to the little shit again. He couldn't take it anymore.

* * *

**Okay guys. This is all I can give you. **

**I know it's been way too long for this... But I wanted to give you this last chapter. **

**I know some of you guys were really looking forward to me finishing this and everything and I really do apologize. **

**There are other things that have came up in my life that I need to pay attention to more than a fanfiction that I have lost all inspiration for in the first place. **

**I also... Don't feel like I'm capturing the characters as well as I was in the first couple of chapters. They seem... Off.  
**

**Once again, I really do apologize. Maybe. Just maybe I'll finish it within the next couple of chapters, but don't expect it because I'm not making promises.**

**Thank you for reading this story up to here. I really do appreciate your time and your lovely reviews.  
**


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